Etextbooks - lighten the backpack load, more recent and varied material. A lot of textbook publishers have electronic publications or supplementing their print textbooks with online resources.. (See "Tossing Out Textbooks" in Techlearning or "Edison's Prediction Revisited" in Converge Magazine Online.) Some schools have also converted to using e-textbooks or have compiled their own standards-based digital curriculum.
Onlineavailability of school library and town library resources- Examples: Rye Public Library - Offers search of the card catalogue, links to resources that students can use for research, download of audibooks, and more. Portsmouth Public Library offers similar services. An extraordinary example library offerings can be found at the Rye Free Reading Room, a service of the Rye, NY public library. In addition to the more mainstream services, they offer Rye, NY students online, interactive homework help. Under their "Without Walls" menu selection, they offer the ability to check out e-books (print and audio), online, from your computer. Under their "Books and Beyond" menu selection, they publish the summer reading lists for the middle and high school students.
Online availability of reference and research resources - for example online encyclopedias such as Grolier Online and Encarta, or the fast growing free encylopedia, Wikipedia, and HowStuffWorks.com. There are numerous dictionaries, thesauri, atlases and other online reference and research resources available through Google and other search engines. There are many free web sites that offer reliable reference and learning resources such as the Library of Congress, NASA, JPL, and NOAA. There are numerous magazines, newspapers, etc. that offer extraordinary reference and learning tools such as National Geographic Online, New York Times, etc.
Online availability new types of learning tools - interactive tools and videos like YouTube and TeacherTube. Go to YouTube and ask "crochet tutorial". You will get dozens of good videos on how to crochet. If you don't understand something you have heard in class, go to TeacherTube and look for a video explanation. For example, if you don't understand long division, go to TeacherTube to get another explanation of it. Type "long division" into the search box and a number of videos with good explanations will pop up. Of course, there are other types of interactive learning tools that students can use listed below.
Note taking in class and sharing of the teacher's lecture notes - In some middle schools, teachers share their lecture notes with students as a learning resource. Of course, there is the traditional note taking application!!
Test taking - Software like WinFlash Educator can help facilitate online testing. (I am sure there is other software to do this, as well.) Additionally, Indiana's INAccess laptop program has turned to Linux and open source software (as opposed to MacOS or Windows) for its program, and uses Moodle to help teach courses (at the high school level) and generate online tests.
"Automate" rote learning tasks - Build your own school-wide library of flash cards to help with rote learning tasks using software like **WinFlash Educator**. WinFlash Educator is incredibly versatile and can incorporate graphics and sound, and generate tests (online or printed) from flash card decks. You can get as simple or as complicated as you want. You could even have students contribute their own flash card decks to the school's online library. This could be used as a tool for differentiated instruction in which students who need extra help could use the flash decks to go at their own pace. My daughter learned her 4th grade states and capitals using a program called Grasp the USA.
Collaborative Learning. - for example, learn about other cultures and work with kids from other countries with Epals
Differentiated Learning - allows kids to work at their own pace with the teacher as the facilitator. Kids can independently pursue topics in depth or use various tools for learning topics that they may have more trouble with.
Simulation (Science) - for example, **Jmol: an open-source Java viewer for chemical structures in 3D.** Click here for JMOL DEMO PAGES. You need the Java runtime software on your computer to use JMOL. Click here to download java runtime. You also need the Java 3D API to run the demos. Using Jmol you can visualize fairly complex molecules. You can rotate them by clicking and dragging on the molecule. You can also optionally turn on/off molecular details. You can also see animations of molecular behavior such as vibration.
Also, I found a really cool web site that, if you can believe it, shows models of "molecular machine components". This a more highly advanced modeling than what was mentioned with Jmol (above), but the program used to do this (NanoEngineer-1) is an open source application, available for free on the internet, and there are data files that can be used for building molecular simulations, also freely available on the internet.
The best thing about the Java applications is that there are a lot of open source ones. If they don't fit your needs, you can modify them, and keep them in your own library.
Physics topics simulations written by a student - Nori's Page
Simulation (Science) - This is an example of a lesson from a college-level statics course involving simulation to help students understand abstract concepts. Click here to see the lesson. Scroll down to see the lessons with simulations. Obviously the same type of thing can be applied at the middle school level. This link is from the "Apple Learnng Initiative", but the course is from the "Open Learning Initiative", Carnegie-Mellon Institute (whose purpose, I gather, is to design online courses).
Parent Portal - parents can get grade or progress reports, pay lunch bills, fill out forms, etc. For example, Dover, NH schools use a service called Edline for everything from tracking student assignments/grades to filling out school forms, getting announcements, and a number of other administrative applications.
Elocker - students can move information to/from school.
Interesting presentations, go to legal and read about the law suit. The school district tried to charge a fee for participating in the program so parents sued on the grounds the California Constitution provides for free schooling.
This program chose to use LINUX and open software as opposed to the MacOS or Windows.
Maine
From Craig Dickinson,ACTEM Business Manager - Coincidentally, we ran an article in our last newsletter about ACTEM VP Crystal Priest (cpriest@sad4.com) who was arguably Maine's pioneer in 1-1. I've attached the article for background in case you would like to contact her. Our newsletters are also posted at our site.
A really good evaluation of Maine's laptop initiative. It includes lots of good information including lessons learned, surveys, statistics, and student and teacher interviews.
Loving the Laptops, Portland Press Herald - Maine Sunday Telegram, May 21, 2007, Beth Quimby.
Talks about the continued success of the Maine Laptop Initiative. Notes that after several years of flat test scores, they found students from classes whose teachers participated in professional developement to learn how to integrate computers into the curriculum, generally had higher test scores.
University of Minnesota has produced a report "Exemplary Technology-Supported Schooling Cases in the USA" with some general, but interesting videos on the application of technology in various schools and the results (go to "School Reports and Videos" for Lemon Grove Middle School or Jennings Junior High School).
University of South Florida, College of Education has produced podcasts of Florida schools using laptops in the classroom. To see these podcasts, download ITunes. When you have it up and running, you will see a box in the upper left, "Itunes Store". Scroll down using "genre" to "ITunesU". I think it is at the bottom of the list. Click on it. Select "University of South Florida. Then select "COEDU" (College of Education), Then select "Technology in K-12 Lesson Plans". Then select the "6-8" tab (or any other tab you want). I picked "The Roman Empire", but try things. These video podcasts show how Florida Schools are using laptops in their curriculum.
In this collection of podcasts, (U of S. FL) choose "Rocket Riot" from the grade 6-8 category. Laptops in this podcast allow students to use a simulator at NASA to predict how their home built rockets are going to fly.
Also good in this category is "Virtual Field Trip of Japan" and "Virtual Vacation".
And there was another one where kids invest money in the stock market and track it over a period of time, but I can't find it.
Now, go back to the ITunes home page (click on the house at the top of the screen), select the "Podcast" genre, and in the box below, select "Education". There are numerous language learning audiocasts.
Go back to the ITunes Home Page and browse the Education and Podcast genres. My favorite is "Jack Horkheimer: Stargazer" podcasts. Get there by going to Podcasts->Science & Medicine->Jack Horkheimer: Stargazer. He does weekly broadcasts (also found on public broadcast stations) on naked eye astronomy.
Professional Development Implementation suggestions
Implementation
Criteria for integrating technology
1. activity is well connected to the curriculum
2. use of tech clearly enhances the lesson content
3. activity has students using higher order of thinking skills
Teachers need time to design, experiment with, and receive feedback regarding the strengths and weaknesses of challenging, complex lessons involving technology (Means & Olson, 1997). They also need time to observe each other trying out new kinds of activities and making interesting uses of technology. Some innovative scheduling and staffing options to provide time for teachers to develop instructional lessons and units that effectively integrate technology have been implemented:
One middle school implemented block scheduling of four 85-minute periods per day where teachers use a fourth block for personal or group planning on alternate days. The 'fourth block' periods can be used for one-on-one mentoring with a technology coordinator or more experienced teacher, workshops and collaborative lesson planning, or for demonstrations of new technology and co-teaching strategies.
At another school, during school breaks or vacations, teachers were paid as consultants to develop class materials. The pay was a financial incentive and a demonstration that learning to integrate technology with "instructionally useful activities for various developmental levels was valued."
Researchers found that the most successful technology projects were those where teachers were least dependent on resources beyond their reach. In a study of 118 recipients of technology innovation grants (Zhao et al., 2001) found that the conditions for successful implementation of innovations with technology suggest that teachers need:
to know whether the technology application they wish to use requires additional equipment, Internet and network connections, and software in order to work effectively
to know how to use and have access to the additional resources as well as to the application they have selected
awareness of and access to timely technical guidance
to use technology applications that are consistent with their own teaching practice and pedagogy, the social dynamics of the school, the school culture (collaborative or individualistic), and the curricular goals of the school and district
colleagues who will support and mentor them through the implementation of their innovative efforts.
IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLES
CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Also, I found a really cool web site that, if you can believe it, shows models of "molecular machine components". This a more highly advanced modeling than what was mentioned with Jmol (above), but the program used to do this (NanoEngineer-1) is an open source application, available for free on the internet, and there are data files that can be used for building molecular simulations, also freely available on the internet.
The best thing about the Java applications is that there are a lot of open source ones. If they don't fit your needs, you can modify them, and keep them in your own library.
Simulate rocket flight using NASA's Water Rocket Simulator.
Physics topics simulations written by a student - Nori's Page
ADMINISTRATIVE APPLICATIONS
- Parent Portal - parents can get grade or progress reports, pay lunch bills, fill out forms, etc. For example, Dover, NH schools use a service called Edline for everything from tracking student assignments/grades to filling out school forms, getting announcements, and a number of other administrative applications.
- Elocker - students can move information to/from school.
To the top.STATE PROGRAMS
Alabama - Auburn
Some interesting, but general links to a video and white papers about their program.
California - Fullerton
Interesting presentations, go to legal and read about the law suit. The school district tried to charge a fee for participating in the program so parents sued on the grounds the California Constitution provides for free schooling.
Indiana
This program chose to use LINUX and open software as opposed to the MacOS or Windows.
Maine
This is a valuable link for our statewide initiative which addresses lots of local concern issues.
http://www.maine.gov/mlti/portals/
Jim Burke (jim_burke@sad17.k12.me.us) would be a good resource to contact I would suspect.
A really good evaluation of Maine's laptop initiative. It includes lots of good information including lessons learned, surveys, statistics, and student and teacher interviews.
Talks about the continued success of the Maine Laptop Initiative. Notes that after several years of flat test scores, they found students from classes whose teachers participated in professional developement to learn how to integrate computers into the curriculum, generally had higher test scores.
Michigan
New Hampshire
Note: p 35, comment "...the TPSE program had positive impacts on teaching and learning for all types of students..."
Texas
Virginia - Henrico County Public Schools
To the top.
STATE PROGRAMS - VIDEOS AND RESOURCES
- University of Minnesota has produced a report "Exemplary Technology-Supported Schooling Cases in the USA" with some general, but interesting videos on the application of technology in various schools and the results (go to "School Reports and Videos" for Lemon Grove Middle School or Jennings Junior High School).
- University of South Florida, College of Education has produced podcasts of Florida schools using laptops in the classroom. To see these podcasts, download ITunes. When you have it up and running, you will see a box in the upper left, "Itunes Store". Scroll down using "genre" to "ITunesU". I think it is at the bottom of the list. Click on it. Select "University of South Florida. Then select "COEDU" (College of Education), Then select "Technology in K-12 Lesson Plans". Then select the "6-8" tab (or any other tab you want). I picked "The Roman Empire", but try things. These video podcasts show how Florida Schools are using laptops in their curriculum.
- **Henrico County Public Schools - Treasure Chest of Web Resources**, is an online library of lesson plans being developed by Virginia teachers.
*In this collection of podcasts, (U of S. FL) choose "Rocket Riot" from the grade 6-8 category. Laptops in this podcast allow students to use a simulator at NASA to predict how their home built rockets are going to fly.
Also good in this category is "Virtual Field Trip of Japan" and "Virtual Vacation".
And there was another one where kids invest money in the stock market and track it over a period of time, but I can't find it.
Now, go back to the ITunes home page (click on the house at the top of the screen), select the "Podcast" genre, and in the box below, select "Education". There are numerous language learning audiocasts.
Go back to the ITunes Home Page and browse the Education and Podcast genres. My favorite is "Jack Horkheimer: Stargazer" podcasts. Get there by going to Podcasts->Science & Medicine->Jack Horkheimer: Stargazer. He does weekly broadcasts (also found on public broadcast stations) on naked eye astronomy.
To the top.
Professional Development Implementation suggestions
Implementation
Criteria for integrating technology
1. activity is well connected to the curriculum
2. use of tech clearly enhances the lesson content
3. activity has students using higher order of thinking skills
CARET - http://caret.iste.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=evidence&answerID=21
research says:
Teachers need time to design, experiment with, and receive feedback regarding the strengths and weaknesses of challenging, complex lessons involving technology (Means & Olson, 1997). They also need time to observe each other trying out new kinds of activities and making interesting uses of technology. Some innovative scheduling and staffing options to provide time for teachers to develop instructional lessons and units that effectively integrate technology have been implemented:
One middle school implemented block scheduling of four 85-minute periods per day where teachers use a fourth block for personal or group planning on alternate days. The 'fourth block' periods can be used for one-on-one mentoring with a technology coordinator or more experienced teacher, workshops and collaborative lesson planning, or for demonstrations of new technology and co-teaching strategies.
At another school, during school breaks or vacations, teachers were paid as consultants to develop class materials. The pay was a financial incentive and a demonstration that learning to integrate technology with "instructionally useful activities for various developmental levels was valued."
Researchers found that the most successful technology projects were those where teachers were least dependent on resources beyond their reach. In a study of 118 recipients of technology innovation grants (Zhao et al., 2001) found that the conditions for successful implementation of innovations with technology suggest that teachers need:
To the top.